Graphic communication lecturer Nancy Cullins has worked at Cal Poly since 2007.
What did you do before you became an instructor at Cal Poly?
I’m the queen of the A.D.D. jobs, but all of them were in this industry. The big one was with Time magazine. That one was in New York. I was the print and distribution assistant operations manager, and when we moved back to Los Angeles, I worked for Warner Bros. in Burbank. So I always worked in graphic communication in some capacity, just a lot of different jobs.
What do you hope your students take away from your time as a teacher here?
I want them to be excited about printing. Almost everything they touch is a part of our industry. Make it your own.
What is your favorite book?
I seriously must read about 16 novels a week, so finding a favorite is going to be a tough one. There was this book that came out that was called, “The Art of Racing in the Rain.” It was a book about relationships, from the dog’s perspective with his master.
What is your favorite food?
I guess if I had to pick a favorite it would be … all cheese. Both of my parents are Swiss. We’re a lovely (Swiss) household, filled with cheese and chocolates.
What do you do with your spare time?
I read, and I grade a lot of papers. I should say that I’m working on my thesis, but I’m not really. I like to ski, and I like to rollerblade. Pretty much any activity where you can go fast and not put a lot of effort into it.
If you could meet anyone, alive, dead or fictional, who would you like to meet?
I’d like to meet Amelia Earhart. First of all to know what happened to her, and second of all because she was able to do a lot even though there were limitations set on her.
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?
So many places. There are a million places I still want to go. It’s always been my dream to go to Africa and specifically Madagascar. If I could, I’d do a road trip through the whole continent. It just seems so diverse.
Where have you been?
That’s a really, really long list. I’ve been as far north as Alaska, as far south as Australia. My favorite place was Fiji so far. I’ve never been to Asia, Africa or South America, but I’ve pretty much covered the rest. And well, not Antarctica either, I guess, if we’re covering continents. My parents wanted me to see more of the world than they had.
It’s so good to travel when you’re young before you join the workforce, because it changes your perspective so much. It teaches you diversity internally as well as externally.
What languages do you speak besides English, if any?
Swiss German for sure. I took Spanish in high school. I’m first generation Swiss. That’s why I went there for a year, to get to know the family, and work of course. I worked in a grocery store.